Title

Alcohol expectancies for social facilitation: A short form with decreased bias

Authors

Authors

M. A. Mackintosh; M. Earleywine;M. E. Dunn

Comments

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Abbreviated Journal Title

Addict. Behav.

Keywords

alcohol use; alcohol expectancies; adolescents; Rasch model; psychometrics; COLLEGE-STUDENTS; BINGE DRINKING; ADOLESCENT; RISK; GENDER; Psychology, Clinical; Substance Abuse

Abstract

The social facilitation scale of the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire-Adolescent version predicts subsequent drinking behavior and covaries with other important constructs. An examination of the interval-level measurement properties and potential biases of items could help improve the scale. Responses in a large sample (N=518) of undergraduates confirmed that the items fit a Rasch model for a single-factor, interval scale. Two items were biased when comparing non-drinkers, social drinkers and extreme drinkers. Four additional items showed gender bias. Removal of these items shortened the scale without decreasing correlations with two measures associated with drinking, while the strength with one measure was slightly decreased. This short form of the questionnaire should prove useful in the study of alcohol expectancies for social facilitation without drinking- or gender-related bias. These results also support the utility of Rasch modeling. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Journal Title

Addictive Behaviors

Volume

31

Issue/Number

9

Publication Date

1-1-2006

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

1536

Last Page

1546

WOS Identifier

WOS:000240070400003

ISSN

0306-4603

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